I love this book because of the message behind it: be a good neighbor, be a good friend, build a good community. My husband and I live in a small, lakeside neighborhood and I love it because people are involved with each other and watch out for each other. And in my fictional town of Heart Lake I have three friends who decide they need to bring this kind of old fashioned community involvement back in style. Here’s what it’s about, in a nutshell:Heart Lake is beginning to lose its friendly, small town feeling, so Sarah Goodwin, who owns the town bakery, Jamie Moore, owner of The Chocolate Bar, and Emma Swanson of Emma’s Quilt Corner decide it’s time to find a way to help everyone feel more connected. Their solution: random acts of kindness. And not just from them. The women sponsor a town meeting, encouraging the few people who turn out to start a movement. This not only results in people all over town extending kindness to each other in heartwarming small ways. Soon the three friends are coping with lost cats, mixed signals, business challenges, and unexpected romance. A fun read and some great recipes, too!Who is your biggest supporter?

My husband. He brags about me to all his friends and when we’re out meeting new people he’s the one who always gives out my business card. When my book ON STRIKE FOR CHRISTMAS was re-released last year he got into my address book and e-mailed everyone about it. I was mortified.

Your biggest critic?

Me.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

I want to encourage women to live their lives to the fullest. Does that count as a cause? I hope so. I’m passionate about living a life that counts for something and encouraging others to do the same. We have such a short time here and I don’t want to waste it. I think God gave me this desire to write, so I try to use it to write books that will both entertain my readers and leave them pumped and ready to take on the world. And in my spare time I try to make a difference in my own little world, being a help to family, friends, and neighbors.

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs. These three women have always been there for me, with encouragement and sage advice. Much of how I manage my career I’ve learned from them.

Is there an author that inspired you to write?

I have been writing since I was a little girl. Wrote my first story in the fourth grade. My first “book” was titled TOPEKA, and it was about a horse because, of course, I was totally into horses and had read every horse book on the planet. So, who knows? Maybe my first inspiration was Walter Farley, author of THE BLACK STALLION books.

What do you feel is your biggest strength?

Probably dialogue. Maybe I should write movie scripts!

Biggest weakness?

I’m bad on description. I’ve gotten better over the years, but you’ll never see pages of description in one of my books. I don’t like to read a lot of it so I don’t write a lot of it. I want to get on with the story!

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

Good question. Maybe a reader who enjoys it will e-mail me the answer.

What is your favorite pass-time?

I enjoy doing a lot of things: dancing, playing volleyball (not well, but I still love to play), reading, going to movies – but I think my favorite is playing cards or parlor games with friends. I love to throw a party where we get to do something fun! Maybe, when I retire from writing I’ll become a party planner!

Sheila Roberts lives in the Pacific Northwest. She's happily married and has three children. Writing since 1989, she has had 24 books published, both in fiction and nonfiction under different names and in different languages. However before she settled into her writing career, she did lots of other things, including owning a singing telegram company and playing in a band. But writing and helping others to find ways to make their lives better are her greatest passions.

Her down-to-earth wisdom and quirky upbeat sense of humor make Sheila a popular speaker to groups large and small. Her books are becoming perennial hot sellers. Her book Bikini Season was a Bookscan top 50, a Target Breakout Novel pick and an Amazon Beach Read pick. On Strike for Christmas will be released this year for the third year in the row and has been optioned for film. Her new release Love in Bloom has been chosen as a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book. Now… if she could just get on “Dancing with the Stars”!

The small town of Heart Lake is beginning to lose its friendly, small town feeling, so Sarah Goodwin, who owns the town bakery, Jamie Moore, owner of The Chocolate Bar, and Emma Swanson of Emma’s Quilt Corner decide it’s time to find a way to help people feel more connected. Their solution: random acts of kindness. And not just from them. The women sponsor a town meeting, encouraging the few people who turn out to start a movement. Soon people all over town are extending kindness to each other in heartwarming small ways. But as the three friends cope with lost cats, mixed signals, business challenges, and unexpected romance, they learn that no good deed goes unpunished. Most important, though, they learn that the only way to get a better life, a better town, a better world, is to give your heart.